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REAL ETHICS by Steve Stazel | August
2006 | Index of all Real Ethics columns
What to do when you see an ethics violation
Unfortunately too many of us, when we see an apparent Ethics violation, don’t do anything. We don’t want to get involved, don’t want to rock the boat, or use other frivolous excuses not to go further.
What follows are my thoughts on what you should do and WHY YOU SHOULD DO IT.
When you see someone doing something that you think is a violation of the Code of Ethics, the first thing you should do is to contact the other broker. You can make contact in a very non-threatening manner. Maybe you could say, “Excuse me, but what you are doing seems to me to be a violation of the Code of Ethics. Am I missing something?” This is a request for information. You are not accusing anyone of anything at this point. Once you have asked this question, the other broker may give you one of three answers.
The first answer is: “Oh, I see what you mean. I will make changes immediately.” You have just solved the problem with a phone call.
The second type of response you may receive is: “Oh, I see what you mean, but let me tell you the entire situation.” After the other broker tells you the new information, you see that it was not a violation.
Now I have a question for you: What would you have thought of the other REALTOR® (for the rest of your life) had you not approached him or her? Does the term “pond scum” come to mind? And now, here is where it REALLY hits home: What if someone saw YOU doing something that they thought was unethical? Wouldn’t you want her to come to you so you could explain why it was not unethical behavior on your part? What if the other broker did not approach you? What would that broker think of you for the rest of her real estate life? Does the term “pond scum” come to mind? And she would be WRONG, but since she never came to you, she would never know the truth. The message? Let’s communicate with each other and let’s be sure we know what really happened.
The third thing the other broker reply say when you say, “Excuse me, but it seems to me that what you are doing is a violation of the Code of Ethics. Am I missing something?” is “SO WHAT! I’m going to keep doing it!”
Now you have a decision to make. That decision is “What kind of an Association do you want to be a member of?” To me, an Association of REALTORS® is very similar to an individual. That is …you get exactly what you deserve. If you don’t report that broker to the Association, you are going to get exactly the kind of organization you deserve. If you do report that person, you are going to get exactly the kind of organization you deserve. The question is, “What kind of Association do you want to be a part of?”
Each month, the Aurora Association of REALTORSŪ Web site features Real Ethics,
a column by Steve Stazel devoted to explaining Code of
Ethics issues for members. A REALTORŪ since 1974, Stazel is a Professional Standards
instructor and senior Ethics
instructor for the Colorado Association of REALTORSŪ.
If you have an ethical concern or an issue you would like
to see addressed, please call Stazel at (303) 773-3333 or e-mail him at
stazels@msn.com. The comments of this article reflect the understanding and
opinions of the author and do not represent an official expression of policy by the National Association
of REALTORSŪ.
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